Hesed

2007-03-18T16:21:00.000-05:00

Man Pics

I love my son Drew and I love teaching him about what it means to be a Christian man. God has given the grace to me to love those two things more than my job at being a pastor. I also love it when Drew gets his hands on a camera. Drew is a beast when it comes to games and cameras. Its like seeing the world through his eyes. Who wouldn't want to go back and live those younger years when all you cared about was taking pictures of your foot. I don't know what Drew will do for a living when he grows up, but if he loves the Lord his God with all his heart and he grows up "to be the man," I don't care about the rest. There is nothing more I need him to do or be.

2007-03-02T09:10:00.000-06:00

Do The Next Thing

I am not sure what the copy right rules are in blogging, but I do know that there are many great blogs out there that are hard to top. One such blogger is Justin Taylor who writes on Between Two Worlds. The other day, at a time that I needed it, he posted this poem that was quoted by professor Ray Van Neste. I usually never enjoy poems like others do. I often wonder what's wrong with me when I hear someone say "Listen to this poem, isn't great. It just changed my life." Ok, they don't really say it changed their life, but I obviously don't get as much out of it as they do. But I ate up this poem. It doesn't change lives, but I think it helps get me out of bed some mornings. It is encouraging to know that God doesn't expect us to take multiple steps but just one more with His grace. Listen to the words of this professor and then hear the poem, it even ryhmes.

Professor Van Neste writes:
Here is a poem which contains much wisdom for Christian living in general and is very helpful for pastoral ministry as well. . . . There is much simple wisdom here. Do you find yourself on Monday feeling your soul is scorched, terribly aware of your inadequacies, fearful of what is to come? Since God is still in heaven and His steadfast Word declares His love for you, just carry on and do the next thing. Take the next step of obedience. Do you worry how your children will turn out, what the future will hold for your church, how the finances will look at the end of the month? Resist the allure of self pity, and just take the next step of obedience. We are typically given enough grace just for the next step. Fret not about what lies around the bend. Perform faithfully the next step, and we will make it home safely in the end. This poem is a balm to my soul.

Here it is, lightly modernized. The author is unknown:

From an old English parsonage down by the sea
There came in the twilight a message to me;
Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,
Hath, it seems to me, teaching from Heaven.
And on through the doors the quiet words ring
Like a low inspiration: “DO THE NEXT THING.”

Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, do the next thing

Do it immediately, do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care;
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe 'neath His wing,
Leave all results, do the next thing

Looking for Jesus, ever serener,
Working or suffering, be thy demeanor;
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
The light of His countenance be thy psalm,
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.
Then, as He beckons thee, do the next thing

2007-02-07T11:04:00.000-06:00

“That bwessed awangment”

Last year about this time, I was speaking with another preacher whom I have not had the interest to get to know. In every career and calling, there are numerous men and women who love their job. But even more than their love for the job, when you get around them, you begin to have the same passion and love for the tasks of the career as Tiger Woods swinging his first practice swing at Augusta. Then there are those in your career who you honestly wish had a different calling so that your name and theirs would never be associated. It really makes me feel sympathetic for salesmen who actually are honest and those lawyers who actually do their job because they really do want to help people. I sometimes feel like the world could look at preachers and think some of the same thoughts as they do with salesmen and lawyers. In fact, now that I think of it, all three careers do have men with slicked back hair and Rolexes on their wrists. The question is what do they have to do today to get you in their church.

This preacher said something to me that day which I have not been able to get out of my mind since he said it. We were talking about churches (as if you could not guess that part) and one particular church came into the discussion. The first and only thing he said about the church was “oh, that’s not a real church!” That has been the thought I have been wrestling with in my mind all year long. I have thought about speaking to this preacher to discover what he really meant by his statement, but he was more than willing to let that one statement capture his opinion on the church. I wanted to ask him to explain his definition of a “real” church. I felt like the Enigo Montoya in The Princess Bride leaning over to his bald headed friend, Vizzini, saying, “You keep using that word – I do not think it means what you think it means.”

After all, what is a “real” church? I think my definition and his definition were not the same. But more importantly, what is the Bible’s definition of the church because it doesn’t matter what I think or what he thinks, it does matter how God defines it. Paul never says “the church is…” Peter never writes, “this is how you do church.” I know the Bible is clear on the fact that there is a group of people who are “the called out ones.” The Bible is just as clear when it identifies the rest of mankind. There is a Church expressed in several smaller bodies of believers and then there is a non-church. No doubt, there are probably some of the non-church mixed in with the church, but only by their claims. There are the saved and there are the lost. This, no one can deny that God has revealed in His word. But what criteria does one use when they look at one group of people and says “that is not a real church?” What does it mean to be the church? Are Sundays the only days you see the church? Is what we do today what Jesus had in mind when he spoke with Peter and said “on this rock, I will build my church?” If one wanted to plant a church, when would they be able to turn around and say “I planted a church.”? I need to think more about this and look more at what Scripture says, but right now I got to go watch The Princess Bride again. Have I mentioned I also need to reorganize my priorities?

2007-01-18T09:58:00.000-06:00

What is this an inquisition? (Part 2)

Day 6 of the winter storm 2007, and still couped up. No one has lost their mind (...yet). But I have found another quiz. This one is more practical and I felt better after seeing my results of this one. By the way, intellectual doesn't mean smart. It just means that I can fill out quizes like the other day. And being contemplative and intellectual at the same time, means I need to get out more.

What's your Style? Find out here.

Natualists: 7
Naturalists Draw near to God through nature.

Sensate: 8
Sensates draw near to God through the senses.

Traditionalists: 11
Traditionalists draw near to God through ritual and symbol.

Ascetics: 9
Ascetics draw near to God through solitude and simplicity.

Activists: 11
Activists draw near to God through bringing about social change.

Caregivers: 9
Caregivers draw near to God through caring for and serving others.

Enthusiast: 16
Enthusiasts draw near to God through celebration and mystery.

Contemplative: 20
Contemplatives draw near to God through personal adoration and heartfelt devotion.

Intellectual: 24
Intellectuals draw near to God through their minds.

2007-01-16T11:42:00.000-06:00

What is this, an inquisition?

Staying home for a couple of days has left me surfing the web through my “cans tied to a string” telephone lines. I ran across these quizzes that I am sure will only be interesting to seminary students and alumni. But even if you are neither one, God loves you the same, and I think anyone can fill these out. I also believe you don’t need a seminary degree to have fun.

They are quizzes that claim to determine your theological worldview and whether or not you are a heretic? Just to keep everything in perspective, some of these questions are loaded. Some of them also may require you to pretend to be Catholic. They may cause you to get out your wikipedia’s and if they cause you to get out your Bibles, even better. The ironic thing is at the end of both of them, an ad for “mood rings” pops up.

The funny thing is that I took them both and to be honest I got worried on some questions. I thought to myself, “why am I getting so nervous?” As if the results would tally up and all of sudden the Spanish inquisition would bust down the door and haul me away. I guess it was all those years at seminary watching others pointing fingers at preachers and pastors who did not comply with their own traditions, practices, and teachings. Some of it was justified since you can’t really hold up truth unless you compare it to falsehood. Anyhoo, I suddenly came to myself midway through the interrogation and thought “this is silly, I believe the Bible is my only authority, not seminary, or any student, alumni, or peer.” And by Bible, I mean God who wrote it and gave it to us. So for a typical people pleaser, this is a small breakthrough. Here are my results, I now can be officially labeled. Take both of them, so I can compare myself to you and see if I’m ok.

You scored as Chalcedon compliant. You are Chalcedon compliant. Congratulations, you're not a heretic. You believe that Jesus is truly God and truly man and like us in every respect, apart from sin. Officially approved in 451.

Chalcedon compliant

100%

Monophysitism

67%

Apollanarian

33%

Adoptionist

33%

Nestorianism

33%

Modalism

33%

Pelagianism

33%

Arianism

Socinianism

Docetism

Donatism

Monarchianism

Gnosticism

Albigensianism

Take the quiz:
Are you a heretic?
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists.

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

86%

Reformed Evangelical

71%

Neo orthodox

54%

Fundamentalist

50%

Charismatic/Pentecostal

46%

Emergent/Postmodern

29%

Classical Liberal

14%

Roman Catholic

14%

Modern Liberal

Take the quiz:
What's your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com

2007-01-14T17:30:00.000-06:00

Dad's Day Off

Sundays are usually work days for me, but today the Boss gave me the day off. So after some family worship time (I could not let that sermon go to waste), we went sledding. I thought it was the perfect day to go sledding with all the sleet that had fallen the last two days. I soon discovered that sleet is better when it has had time to melt and get “slick.” I was thankful for God giving us some quality family time, but I will give you two guesses on how many times we did this.

2007-01-13T23:54:00.000-06:00

What Fig Leaves?

For my birthday, my parents took Chris and I to a very nice steakhouse. We had a great time of visiting and laughing. We also had a very chatty waiter. As the meal went on, he kept referring to his “significant other” and “his better half.” Now I will admit here that I am not always the sharpest tool in the shed, so along about dessert I began to think,
“Why does he keep phrasing it that way? It is so awkward. Why not just say ‘my wife’? It would be so much easier, oh wait, maybe they're not married. Of course, he could just say fiancé or girlfriend. No, he is wearing a wedding ring. So why not just say ‘wife’ unless she is not…Oh."
Then I began to think about how much we as humans want our sin to be socially acceptable. We rename and repackage it, trying desperately to surround ourselves with others who will join in this charade with us. So we say we have “self-control issues” instead of just admitting we have rage. We say she is a "talker" rather than a gossip. Whatever our bully sin is, there is a way to present it in a more positive light. This desire is what makes it so easy for me to see a splinter in my brother’s eye and miss the plank in my own. It is what makes me able to “strain out a gnat, yet gulp down a camel!” (Matthew 23:24)
How this must break the heart of God to see His children still running around grabbing leaves to cover what they don’t want everyone to see and trying to hide from Him. God wants a real relationship with me, and He wants me to have real relationships with others. But this is not possible as long as I am covering, repackaging and hiding. Only through Jesus is this possible. Even now, God’s call echoes through Scripture to each of us, calling us to lay down our false coverings and be cleansed, for real. “Come now and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18

2007-01-11T10:39:00.000-06:00

One Blind Mouse

The other night, my wife did a supernatural thing. She woke me up at three in the morning. If you know how I sleep, you will know that I am not exaggerating when I say it was supernatural. She did not wake me up because someone was breaking in. She did not wake me up because there was a loud storm crashing down on the house. No, she woke me up because of a chatty mouse.

Now I don't mind that mice are living in my house. I don't really know what I want more...a cat or mice. I only wish that they would shut up! I was a good husband though. I got up and looked around and said "I don't see him." The fact that my eyes were still sleeping is irrelevant. The next day we laid out a trap -- the sticky kind so that we actually get to watch them scream as we throw them in the garbage. Hey, its a lot better than if our dog gets to them first. You don't want to know.

We got up in the middle of the next night and saw that the sticky trap was gone. So, not only do we have a chatty mouse but now he is clunking into everything because he can't see where he is going.

That first night, since I couldn't go back to sleep, I went into the living room and wondered how my wife got her satellite hearing. Then God reminded me that His voice is to be heard exactly like that. Jesus once said that His sheep know His voice. The interesting thing about what He said in John 10, is that before and after that moment He spoke to the Jews about not believing in Him as the Messiah - The Savior. He said to those around Him that day, who were being hesitant and reserved in believing in Him, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me. But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep" (John 10:25-26).

To put it bluntly, I can't hear God's voice in my life until I have given my life to Him. Until I trust Him with everything, I will be deaf to God. This is clear especially in the crisis of my life. I don't hear his voice of comfort and guidance until I recognize and accept the fact that He is in control of the storm of my life. And hearing His voice in the midst of a storm makes all the difference in the world. When I believe Jesus Christ is who He said He is, I get satellite hearing. I can only hear the voices I trust.

By the way, two days later, the dog got to the mouse. Of course, its not hard catching a mouse running with a big piece of cardboard around his neck.

2006-11-09T20:38:00.000-06:00

Two Fathers, One Choice

I know I am going crazy with the videos now that I have discovered how to blog them. But I could not keep this one to myself.

The Bible says "But as many as received Him (Jesus Christ), to them He (God) gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12-13). So the only ones who can call the One True God their Father are those who recieve Jesus Christ by placing their trust in Him and what He did for them. Now, if someone never places their trust in Jesus, whose child are they? Jesus Himself said to His own people, the Jews, and answers that question: "If God were your Father, you would love Me, because I came from God and I am here. For I didn’t come on My own, but He sent Me. Why don’t you understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to My word. You are of your father the Devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of liars. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me" (John 8:42-45).

Jesus makes it clear. Either God or the Devil is your father. There is no other father to claim. I wish for the sake of those I know who are not Christians that there was a loop hole somewhere, a gray area. But there is only one way to know God as your Father. As a follower of Christ, there are two things I need to keep in mind if I am going convince anyone of this truth. First, when we, Christians, claim to be the only children God has, we do not pull it out of a hat somewhere. We simply tell the world what God has already said about us. Second, we do not and can not condemn anybody else, whether they are muslim, mormon, budhist, etc., or if they claim no religion at all. Again, hear the words of Jesus: "Anyone who believes in Him (Jesus Christ) is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is ALREADY condemned, because he has not believed in the name of One and Only Son of God" (John 3:18). Our job is not to condemn, but only to point out that condemnation. Thus, those who don't follow Christ and only Him, already stand condemned and we have the responsbility to do what we can to relay that message. I look up to these men and women like Al Mohler, Pat Robertson, Billy Graham and his son, who all have the world on their hearts and the gospel on their tongues.

2006-11-06T19:17:00.000-06:00

Grandma is in heaven

Do you have that special someone that always smiles when you walk into the room? I am not talking about just a smirk, but it’s as if the president of the United States just entered their presence. For me, that special person was my grandmother. It didn’t matter if I was coming over for Thanksgiving or I was just dropping off something, grandma always made me feel like I had just made her day. These people are special to us because no one else does that for us. No one else makes us feel so important.

My Grandma passed away last Saturday and I am happy for her because she is now gazing into the eyes of her Savior. She is holding His hand, walking along, and He is telling her how proud He is of her. She and Jesus are together finally and I am happy for her, but I will miss that smile, that excitement in her eyes when I walked into the room. Two things are keeping me from losing it as I write this. One is that smile of Jesus that my grandma received. Now she knows what it is like to feel as cherished as she made me feel. The other is the smiles I am going to get when I enter into eternity, one from Jesus and one from grandma. Grandma gave me the perfect picture of heaven and because of that, she is one of many special people God has placed in my life.

2006-11-02T17:18:00.000-06:00

New Counseling Method

After a bachelors degree and a masters of divinity degree, I have finally found my perferred method to counseling. 9 out 10 pastors believe this to be the best approach to ministering to those who need direction and comfort. It is truly revolutionary. Actually, I just wanted to see if I could post a video.

2006-11-01T22:13:00.000-06:00

ZZZZ....ZZZZ

Two days ago, I turned 33 years old. I am at that age where anybody in college and high school will say, “wow, your old,” and yet everyone on the AARP list still calls me a young pup. They always follow it with a “just wait till you get my age.” It’s like I am too young to know anything, but too old to do anything about it. But life is great now. And with God’s grace, I know when I do get that old, life will be great then too because He is in it.

One thing about my birthday is that it always falls around Daylight Savings. As kids I think we liked it when we got to spring forward one hour because we had more time to play outside in the evening. But as I get older, I discover more and more of how much I appreciate that extra hour of sleep in the fall. I mean come on…a whole extra hour of dreamland. That means I get to tack on one more Z onto my ZZZ. I didn’t think twice about this when I was kid. I always heard adults talking about it, but I never knew what it was like. It’s like a whole new world has opened up to me.

Now I know some people hate Daylight Savings. I say we got two states for you to live in: Indiana and Arizona. One cold, one hot. What more could you ask for? I even say why not make Daylight Savings into a holiday. I mean why are we celebrating Labor Day? Oh, yea we get to work. Whoopee. This is an extra hour of sleep we are talking about. Come on, who is with me on this? It would be another opportunity to eat turkey (Gasp!!! food and sleep). It’s true, I love sleep more today than yesterday, but I love the one who makes me sleep even more. He lets me lie down (Psalms 23:2). May our love for Him grow faster than anything else He gives us.

2006-10-30T14:43:00.000-06:00

How I became a Christian

33 years ago today, I was born into this world. But roughly 23 years ago, I was reborn. I thought today on my physical birthday I would explain how I came to know the God of the universe personally. I was one of those who practically grew up in church. I went to a lot of Sunday services and heard someone talk about Jesus Christ and how He died for the sins of everyone and yet He rose from the dead because He was actually God. I came to know a lot more about Him and the Bible because I was fortunate to have parents who loved me to church (not a grammar mistake). They did not hassle me about going to church, but they did show me in their own life what they valued and thought was important.

One day in Vacation Bible School, my elderly teacher told us about God’s law. She said these Ten Commandments are God’s standard for life. But then at the end of the lesson, she said something that blew me away. She said everyone had broken God’s law. Now I had heard that before, but this time it was different. I began to look at that law just to see if she was right. I thought I never murdered anyone. I didn’t even understand what this “covet thy neighbor’s property” meant. But then I realized that she was right. I had lied. And I had put other things before God in my life. And as a final blow, she said that the Bible said that if you break just one of God’s laws, you are a law breaker. So it didn’t matter that I had only broken the lesser of the laws, I was guilty of breaking God’s law. Now understand something before I go on. She did not get up there and just wag her finger at us. In fact what really got me to think about all this was when she began to tell us how she herself had indeed broken God’s law just like the rest of us. I thought if this sweet, old lady, who I had never even heard cuss, could fall short of God’s standard, then what does that say about me.

Anyway, I tucked all that inside me for years until later at a youth service; a preacher got up and told us much of the same thing. But he began to tell us that if we had broken God’s law, then we had been separated from Him because God is holy and perfect. And then he said the greatest thing I have ever heard. He said that God loved me too much to leave me separated from Himself. He had created me to have a personal relationship with Him. A relationship I thought I had until that day in Vacation Bible School. That is why He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to die in my place. He said God wanted me to have this new life with Him and so that is why Jesus Christ rose from the dead to prove that he could offer me that supernatural life. I knew right then what I had to do. I responded not to the preacher that evening, but to Jesus Christ because I heard His voice saying to my heart, “trust Me.” I placed my faith and trust in Him as my God and Savior that evening. I realized that when Jesus died on the cross, He died for me, to pay for my sins. I was the law breaker that had the punishment for breaking the law removed by Jesus Christ. He was sinless, and He never broke any law; yet that is the very reason why his punishment satisfied God’s wrath against my sin and my breaking His law. Jesus Christ is my God now and I see His hand in my life more clearly, directing me and providing for me. He speaks through His word and shows me how to follow and love Him. Before it was just church, now it's personal.

2006-10-27T17:49:00.000-05:00

Open Wide

We have had a busy week. We hosted a huge meeting at our church on Tuesday, served lunch to college students and kids on Wednesday and I topped it off with a root canal on Thursday. I don’t know if you have ever had a root canal, but take it from me, we throw that phrase “I’d rather get a root canal” around way too generously. Mine was on my top front tooth; you know where there is only bone and no gums. The dentist put one shot in the front, just above the tooth and then another on the roof of my mouth behind the tooth. Here is the funny thing. As I arched my back and tore off the chair arms, he said “I want you to try to relax.” Try to relax? I try to relax when my Sooners are getting beat by the horns. I try to relax when I go up to the pulpit, knowing that my audience is expecting me to hit it out of the park and knowing that I don’t usually. I even try to relax when the line at McDonald’s is taking forever. But when I am in a dentist chair receiving a shot in my less than thinned gums, I TRY to hold on for dear life. I TRY not to punch the nurse out cold. I TRY not to …well you get the point (believe me, no pun intended).

I am over it now. But I wish Dentists and Doctors spoke my language more. When they are about to say “try to relax" or "this is going to pinch a little," why don’t they say instead, “this is going to make you scream like a little girl.” I mean, haven’t they ever had a shot? Or do they get those exclusions in medical school? Wait a second, I know they don’t. I should know because my wife used to be a nurse. Still, when they say things like that, I imagine them all gathered around laughing with a whole of bunch of pills that would do the same trick spilling out of their hands, saying to each other “now we can’t let the public know about these.”

It makes me realize how important it is to speak the language of the lost. Unbelievers don’t understand a lot of church language. Sometimes, I think some believers don’t understand it either. I am not saying they can’t ever learn it. But it is necessary to live in the world and yet not be of it. It is necessary not to exclude our realm of influence from those who have never placed their faith in Jesus for their eternity. If we only know and live around Christians, then we are simply sprinkling salt on salt. As a pastor, this is my most difficult task.

2006-10-25T21:55:00.000-05:00

The Main Thing

The youngest of our kids has been potty trained for some time now. That means no more diapers, at least until God gives us another one of His most precious gifts. You know, Tiffany and I never decided to have kids just so we could change diapers. I never asked Tiffany, “Can we have a baby, because I really want try this diaper thing.” In fact, with the three that we have, I never begged Tiffany, “can I change his diaper, pleeeaaase let me change that diaper.” I know that might be a shock to people, but honestly I never did (really!). That is not the reason why people have kids, but that has a lot to do with raising kids. And they never do it at a convenient time. And sometimes it comes out both ends. Nevertheless, just because our recent years have been filled with pampers and wipes, I can’t give up on my kids. I can’t quit on them because I didn’t know it was going to be a lot of hard work.

That is how Nehemiah got the Israelites to rebuild the walls in 52 days. He had all these distractions and yet he finished the construction in record time. How many road constructions have you seen that only took 52 days? How did Nehemiah do it? He did not give up. Yea, yea, he prayed and did a number of other important and necessary things, but in the end He did what God called him to do because he simply stuck to it. And he had three big distractions. Sanballet, Tobiah, and Geshem thought they could just walk right in and take Jerusalem with little or no effort. And when they saw Nehemiah rebuilding the walls, they plotted against him. They said at the beginning, “Nehemiah come down off that wall, we just want to talk to you” (Nehemiah 6:2). Now the last time I checked it is no sin just to go and talk with someone. But Nehemiah gave them his answer. He said “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3). Nehemiah did what I need to do so often. He focused on what was important rather than what was urgent. He kept going despite of the distractions.

We have a lot of distractions in life and the reality is that most of the time, serving our Lord Jesus Christ and just doing the work is not very glamorous. But we can’t lay aside the tasks given to us. We can’t give up on those great intentions with which we started. Because once those walls begin to fall and we give up on those important things in our lives, an opening is created for the enemy to come in. Let me encourage you as I have been encouraged. Whether it is setting aside the time required to grow intimate with our Savior and to speak with Him and to read His word, whether it is serving in our churches, whether it is sharing the gospel with those around us, don’t let the distractions keep us from these most important things in our life. If He did not spare Himself by placing Himself on the cross in our place to secure our eternity with Him, why would He withhold His grace to strengthen us and give us the courage we need to carry on? Keep going and don’t quit.

2006-10-18T11:02:00.000-05:00

Chris and Tiffany's Big Adventure

One of the best things about being married, I think, is getting to spend time with my best friend. There are nights when Chris and I fall into bed and go straight to sleep, and others when we lay there talking, enjoying the fact that we are not being interrupted by the kids. These are great because I love that no matter what else is going on, we are on the same side. Chris and Tiffany’s Big Adventure (or at times Chris and Tiffany against the world). But every once in a while these conversations turn silly, and I remember one of the things that I love most about my husband. No one makes me laugh like he does. I mean laugh till my eyes are watering and I have trouble catching my breath. Usually, these conversations are so ridiculous that we couldn’t even explain why they are so funny. But it doesn’t really matter that no one else would understand why the comment “What am I supposed to be, part Apache?!?” is so funny. What matters to me is that I am one Divinely Favored to be married to my best friend.

2006-10-14T20:57:00.000-05:00

“It’s Just Cornflakes!”

Last night we had an unexpected treat. We try to reserve Friday nights for Date Night, but last night it was not possible. Instead, my parents asked us to stay for dinner, and we were able to spend a very enjoyable evening with them and my sister, Heather, and her family.

Heather and her husband brought a movie for the adults to watch while the kids played in the playroom. The movie was the new Adam Sandler film, “Click.” Now, I had seen the commercials for this film and was expecting some typical Adam Sandler humor. While there were many funny scenes, the movie was so much more than a simple comedy. The story is of an average guy who, through the choices he makes, is forced to live his entire life on auto-pilot. In the end, the price he pays for those choices is unbearably high. The part of the movie that struck me the most was early on when his character was warned to be careful about the choices he made less he end up like the character in the “Lucky Charms” commercials who searches for the end of the rainbow only to find it’s just a bowl of cornflakes. Adam Sandler’s character, unfortunately, does not heed this advice, but what an important reminder for me.

How much energy do I waste on things that will not even matter at this time next year? Jim Elliot, the well-known missionary martyred in Central America, said, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep, for what he cannot lose.” It is so easy to be lulled into auto-pilot by all of the urgent things in my life, that I let the truly important things slip by unnoticed. Each of us has only one life to offer up as a living sacrifice to our Lord. May God help each of us to quit wasting time building with wood, hay, and stubble and focus on building that which truly lasts.“Turn my heart to Your decrees and not to material gain. Turn my eyes from looking at what is worthless; give me life in Your ways.” Psalm 119:36-37 HCSB

2006-10-10T15:32:00.000-05:00

Things that make you go ewe

We took our weekly pilgrimage to Wal-Mart today and between keeping the kids from knocking down that 50ft display of canned corn and putting back everything that Nate threw into the cart, we were just glad to make it out of there alive. At one point, Nate took off into a sprint and slammed smack dab into a utility cart. Why you ask? Oh, because apparently you can enjoy a mad dashing sprint a lot more with your eyes closed. Then as we were checking out, we sent the kids to the game room in our attempt to corral them. As we were leaving, Drew began to inform us that he had found a piece of candy just laying on one of the games. Tiffany looked at him and asked what he did with it (not really wanting to hear the answer). With a big smile on his face, he said “I put it in my mouth”…. Of course you did. Even now, all I can say is that it was a good thing we had not eaten yet.

Here we are in a store that can’t even sell us spinach in fear of bacteria and my son eats the one piece of candy that could contain the next plague. Now I don’t really eat spinach (not that there is anything wrong with that), but please don’t just put something in your mouth just because you found it. Is that asking too much? I know there is a sermon illustration in there somewhere. Oh well, thank God that His patience is more enduring than my own. And thank God for little boys. What would we do without them? Certainly, the Wal-Mart janitor would have a lot more to clean up.

2006-10-07T14:57:00.000-05:00

"And the winner is..."

I look like my dog

As I sit here biting my nails and worrying about whether or not my Sooners will beat the Longhorns today, the above website reminds me that some contests are not worth winning. There is only one goal worth accomplishing: "My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Philippians 3:10)."

There is only way to reach that goal: "...let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus..." (Hebrews 12:1-2).

"Run in such a way that you may win. Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Therefore I do not run like one who runs aimlessly, or box like one who beats the air. Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)." Lord, I never want to live my life aimlessly, so help me to stay focused on the real prize of knowing You....P.S. help the Sooners pulverize the Longhorns too.

2006-10-05T14:53:00.000-05:00

The Princess and Her Prince

Got home from church last night and Katie put on a puppet show. I was really impressed. She had theatre seating arranged, a puppet stage, and three paper sack puppets to entertain the whole family. I gave it two thumbs up. She told us the story about when the princess was being chased by this big bad ugly monster. I could tell it was a princess by the crown on her head. Usually when the kids show me a picture they've created, I have to work at, usually followed by “oh …of course that’s what that is.” But not this time. The princess being chased by the monster screams for her prince and sure enough he comes to her rescue. The prince stabs the monster with his sword and afterwards he gets the princess, they kiss, and they live happily ever after. Not bad for a 9 year old.

I loved it because it showed me that Katie knew what a prince looked like and what a prince did. The prince in her mind is the brave one, the courageous one. He is both the protector and the rescuer. He saves the day by being committed to the princess and by standing up for his bride. That is the kind of prince that she herself would feel safe with. That is the kind of prince I am praying for in her life. That is the kind of prince I want to be.

2006-10-03T12:36:00.000-05:00

First time for everything

This is my first time to blog. So I thank you for making it here. I actually decided to have a blog not because I had all this wisdom stored up and no podium to share it all. I am doing this for my own personal growth, so if it helps anyone out there then to God be the glory. I don’t even consider myself that wise although I have always tried to surround myself with wise people. My wife (one of those wise people in my life) says that I sometimes sell myself short. Who knows, if you stick with me for very long, one day I might sound like a master scholar and then the next day I might sound like Elmer Fudd.

I guess maybe as part of my first blog I should explain my title: “Hesed.” It is pronounced with two short e’s (not “He said”). Hesed is a Hebrew word that is used for God’s faithful and covenant love. It is a special word that defines God’s love as something that never fails and something that is always loyal. But it is unique because it is based on the covenant that he has established with His people. Jesus said in the new testament that His blood was the new covenant. I like that word because it tells me that God will always love me not because I do things that gain his love but because he has sealed his love towards me by sending His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross and shedding His blood. He truly loves me. He offers that same kind of love to everyone as a gift.

I can’t wait to share many more words but if I have anything that might be claimed as wise or helpful, then it will only be by God’s Hesed. Again I don’t consider myself as one who should blog, I simply want to look at Scripture, think about the life God has given me, and maybe share some funny stories about the kids. My wife is going to help me by doing some blogging herself. So we both invite you to come back. It is our hope that as we grow together to be more like Christ, that you might be encouraged in the process and see the Hesed of your Father.